


Paper Airplanes and Purple Lipstick

by EndoratheWitch



Series: Bits of Fluff [20]
Category: Paperman (Short Film 2012), Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: F/M, Fluffy, Human AU, Paper planes, Paperman AU, fated meeting, nothing special
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-12-14 20:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11790729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EndoratheWitch/pseuds/EndoratheWitch
Summary: Meeting by chance





	Paper Airplanes and Purple Lipstick

Fate did not play a role in Bog King's life. Everything in his life was boring and predictable. Like today. 

Bog took a deep breath, widening his eyes at the same time until they stung in an attempt to stay awake. He was on his way to work at his boring, paper pushing job in the city. He wore his best grey suit, white shirt and dark grey tie, and a new pair of black, shiny wingtip oxfords on his feet. He was tall, slim to the point of skinny, his dark hair slicked back in an attempt to look professional—well, except for one rebellious lock that refused to stay put, dropping down over his brow no matter how many times he shoved it back into place. 

The morning breeze blew across his face ruffling his dark hair (which was not helping the hair issue at all) and a few leaves raced past his feet, bright oranges, deep reds and bright yellows, a mix of autumn colors that danced across his shoes while he waited for the train to arrive and pick him up, rushing him off to work. 

Fall was in the air; he could feel it in the crispness of the breeze, the bright colors of the leaves. Bog smiled. Autumn was his favorite time of year. He enjoyed the colors, the cooler air, the fresh and comforting smells that autumn brought with it. 

Bog was lost in his thoughts, his file folder for work under his arm, not really paying attention when a train raced by behind him, picking up the breeze, blowing his hair completely out of its severe slicked back style, but Bog didn't respond. He leaned a little bit with the increased breeze from the train, allowing it to move him a bit, when out of nowhere a piece of paper smacked into his shoulder. 

Bog frowned, looking down at it in confusion, then just as quickly the paper blew off of his shoulder, whooshed away by the train's increased breeze. As the paper flew away him, a young woman jogged past him with a frantic look on her face. 

“Come back!” she called after the paper as if the breeze or the object would listen to her. 

She was short (though most everyone were short when compared to him, Bog admitted) with short punky brown hair. She was wearing a black pencil skirt with a purple blouse along with black high heels. Neither the skirt nor the heels were allowing her to gain any speed. Bog tried not to notice, but she had a nice figure. 

He turned his head as she went by, his whole body starting to turn with him, thinking perhaps he should help her, but instead he seemed entranced by watching her chasing the paper as the white sheet danced on the wind as if it were playing with her. She jumped, (mentally cursing the heels she was wearing) catching the paper just before it blew onto the tracks. 

* 

Marianne gasped in relief when she grabbed the paper out of the air. That was her damn resume!! She couldn't believe she had been so foolish as to open her folder and examine it one more time just as the train went by! How stupid could she be?! 

Marianne dropped her hands on her knees catching her breath and letting out a sigh of relief trying not to crumple the corner of her resume as she did so. 

* 

When the young woman bent over, Bog blinked in surprise at the very good view he received of her back end (which he couldn't help notice was quite nice.) Bog's cheeks turned bright red and he quickly looked away, looking down at the pointed ends of his shoes instead. He saw her move out of the corner of his eye, which drew his attention once again to the petite woman. He glanced over at her, as if drawn to her. He could feel an odd tug in the middle of his chest that seemed to pull his gaze towards her. She stood up and came back, shoving the paper back into her folder as she walked briskly back to the same area of the platform that Bog occupied. 

When she was almost at arms length away from the tall man standing at the station waiting, Marianne stopped. She noticed him watching her. He smiled shyly, then swiftly glanced away, though not before she saw the bright blue eyes in the sharp featured face. She smiled as she stepped up beside him to wait for her train. 

Marianne glanced at him again to see that he was staring down at his shoes. He had a nice profile, long sharp nose and chin, but there was something about him that was...compelling. She absently rubbed her thumb between her breasts when she felt an odd tug. 

* 

Bog swallowed, still staring at his shoes. She was even prettier than he thought! This close he could see that her eyes were a gorgeous shade of honey brown and her petite rosebud mouth was highlighted by a deep plum colored lipstick that matched the smokey purple and black of the makeup around her eyes. Never in his life had he seen someone so darn pretty! 

Bog chewed his bottom lip as his long fingers drummed against the side of his leg. The tug in his chest was more pronounced. He nervously continued to worry at his bottom lip thinking to himself, “Ask her name! Go on Bog you can do it! Ask her name! Introduce yourself! Do something you fool!” 

Bog continued to drum his fingers on his leg trying to work up the nerve to say something to her, but that was the moment another train came rushing by behind them. The sudden intense breeze created by the train blew against both of them, causing their hair to blow and their bodies to lean with the wind. Bog turned toward her, having finally built up his courage enough to say something, just as a loose sheet of paper blew out of nowhere and smacked the young woman standing beside him right in the face accompanied by the sound of “Eep!” 

* 

The paper smacked Marianne in the face, startling her enough that she yelped in surprise. She started to reach up for it, but before she could remove the paper, someone else pulled it away. Marianne looked up to see the man who had been standing beside her holding the paper. 

* 

Bog's eyes widened in surprise. “Oh gosh, are you all right?” 

He quickly reached over taking the sheet from her face to see her scrunching up her features, her little petite nose wrinkled in the cutest fashion. Bog felt that tug in his chest intensify. 

* 

She blinked a few times and then looked up at him, her lips parted to say something, the pulling sensation in her chest tugged her toward him. But then she noticed the paper in his hand. Marianne blinked in surprise and then snorted before actually chuckling when she saw the state of the paper he was holding. She had meant to say, “Yes I'm fine,” or “Thank you so much—I'm Marianne,” but instead, like an idiot she snort-laughed! 

* 

Bog stared back holding the offending paper in his hand. She was just so pretty! Looking up at him with those large brown eyes made little tingles race up and down Bog's spine. He was struck dumb; he didn't know what to say, he just stood there. 

A train came to a stop behind them. 

The woman glanced from him to the paper in his hand, her mouth open to speak, but when her eyes settled on the offending paper, she did the darnest thing. She snorted, then laughed in the cutest way possible. 

Bog frowned for a moment looking down at himself, assuming it was something about him that she found so funny, but then, when his eyes slid over the paper in his hand, Bog saw the perfect kiss mark on the paper in the shape of her lips. Bog blinked in surprise and then chuckled, looking at the paper with a pair of perfect purple lips imprinted on it. He glanced back up, ready to say something amusing to her, maybe ask her name, something about the charming shade of lipstick she was wearing, but when he looked up, she was gone. 

Bog looked around frantically for a second, the tug in his chest pulling him forward. He caught sight of her retreating back as she walked onto the train, the doors sliding closed behind her. He watched her take a seat, her back to him. 

Bog frowned, immediately feeling as if he had just lost his chance at something beautiful, something precious. The wind started to stir, causing his dark hair to blow forward as he stood there looking foolish, holding the lipstick stained paper in his hand as the train she had stepped into began to pull away. 

* 

Marianne was so embarrassed by her snorting before she laughed. As she turned and hurried to her train in mortification, her inner voice was berating her. Geez, Mari! What the hell kind of laugh was that? It wasn't even cute! You sounded like a snorting pig then a complete goof with that laugh! 

Marianne took her seat, flushing badly. She told herself not to look back, she didn't want to see the look on that handsome stranger's face... but she couldn't help it, the burn in her chest compelled her to turn around, to look back... 

The tall blue-eyed stranger was still standing where she had left him on the platform, the paper with her lip marks still in his hand. The stranger had a slightly confused, disappointed looking on his face. But when his blue eyes met her brown ones in the train's window, just as the train pulled away, Marianne saw his expression morph into a sad, confused smile. The trained slowly pulled away, but the two strangers continued to stare at each other and Marianne thought to herself...why didn't I stay? Why didn't I get his name? 

* 

Bog watched her go, disappearing forever from his life in that brief but sweet moment. Now all he had was a piece of paper with her lipstick mark on it. 

Bog muttered to himself. “She probably didn't like how I looked anyhow. Too tall, too thin, too ugly.” But for some reason, Bog put the paper in his folder, unable to let the one physical connection he had to that woman go. 

* 

Work for Bog King was an endless stream of fairly meaningless paperwork at a small desk with a phone, a bell and an in and out file basket. Boring, predictable to the point that everyone in the office looked the same to him. The only saving grace was that at least his desk was by a window. Granted, the view was nothing spectacular, he could see the street below and the another building, an almost exact copy of the one he was currently in, but he had the window partly open to allow the cool autumn air to play softly across his desk making him feel less trapped at his desk. Most of the time the banality of his job didn't bother him. He would arrive at his desk, put in his hours and take the train home; day in, day out. The routine was actually calming sometimes, but not today. 

Bog sat at his desk, his suit jacket resting on the back of his chair. Everything else on the desk was just as he had left it, just as it always was...the phone to his left, the little in basket to his right, the bell right next to that, but up to the corner a bit. Today though, on his desk in front of him was the slip of paper with the prefect kiss mark in that bright purple lipstick. Bog frowned as he stared at the mark of her lips wishing he had done something differently, had taken her hand...stopped her from leaving somehow... when suddenly a large stack of papers was dropped on top of the paper, almost concealing the kiss. 

Bog looked up with a scowl on his features which quickly morphed into a surprised expression when he saw his boss standing there staring at him. 

Bog's boss, Mr. Manley, was not a nice man. He was not an exciting man, nor was he a man who tolerated any monkey business in his office. He was a man who believed in work, work, work and nothing but work. Everything about the man showed that work was his life, from the dull colored clothing, to the perfect sharp cut of his hair. Manley was all about the job. Outside this office, nothing else existed for him. He stared down his square nose at Bog for a half second, before he turned and walked away. 

Bog frowned slightly, his eyes following the retreating figure of Mr. Manley when suddenly a fall breeze from his window caught the stack of papers that his boss had just given him, and started to whip them around. Bog grimaced lunging for the window to close it before he lost any of the papers when he saw her. Bog's eyes bugged for a moment. 

Across the street, in the building across the way, one floor down...it was her!! 

Bog couldn't believe his eyes!! The girl from the train platform! The purple lipstick! There she was, right there!! As if fate had placed her just out of reach again. The pull in Bog's chest tightened, almost yanking him out the window. 

Bog watched her raptly. She seemed to be talking to someone he couldn't see and took a seat. The way she was holding herself, her hands folded in her lap, her back stick straight...was she having a job interview? Bog wondered. 

Bog panicked as he thought: Here is a chance!! This had to be fate!! What were the chances in this entire city that she would be in the building across from him!! That he would even see her!! 

The window to the office she was in was open...his had to be his chance! Fate was intervening! 

Bog threw his window open wider and started waving his arms around like a complete fool trying to get her attention, trying to let her know that fate had thrown them back together...across a street and in two separate buildings...but it had to be fate!!! 

Bog continued to wave his long arms around like a fool, but he didn't care, he just had to get her attention. Bog muttered to himself. “Come on, come on! Look over here please!” He was still waving his arms when he heard someone clear their throat. Bog turned to see his boss, Mr. Manley leaning back in his office chair and glaring at Bog through his office door. Bog frowned immediately dropping into his seat, but his focus remained on the woman in the opposite building. 

“Come on Bog, think, think...how to get her attention,” Bog hissed to himself under his breath as he leaned on his elbows and drummed his long fingers on the sides of his head. That was when he happened to glance down at the pile of papers on his desk, the work ahead or...and then inspiration struck. Bog's eyes widened and a smile blossomed across his face. 

* 

The office Marianne sat in was like every other office found anywhere in the city. Grey carpet, dark wooden desk, chair in front of the desk designed to make the sitter uncomfortable, no pictures on the wall, and lastly, the man behind the desk in a dark suit. Marianne sat nervously on the edge of the hard wooden chair, designed, she wondered, to force the sitter to have their back straight, ready to leap out of the chair at a moment's notice. It was not a chair designed for comfort. Marianne glanced down once at her hands folded on her lap, worrying that she was giving away how nervous she was right now. 

She was focused on her interview, but a part of her kept thinking about the man on the train platform. He was so tall, those incredible blue eyes of his were captivating, and he had had the sweetest, most endearing smile. She blushed slightly while the man interviewing her looked through her folder, reading over her resume. Why hadn't she said “Hi!” or given him her name or asked his? Why had she been so silly and just walked away? What was wrong with her? When had she stopped taking chances? That man on the train platform...fate had given her a perfect chance. She had felt it, that pull, that this moment might have been something special...and she had jumped on the train instead. Yes, she had an interview, but a couple of minutes of conversation with that stranger might have...“No, no Marianne..” she told herself, “Don't punish yourself for missed opportunities.” But then Marianne's thoughts were pulled away from the man on the platform, and back to the interview when her interviewer looked up, his fingers resting on her resume. 

* 

Across the street in the other building, Bog grabbed a paper from the pile on his desk and folded it into a paper airplane. It was the only thing he could think of that might span the distance between the two buildings and grab her attention without damaging her interview. Bog glanced toward his boss's office door then stood up and threw the plane out the window. 

The plane twisted and glided toward her buildings, then immediately took a nose dive straight down. Bog frowned watching the plane float lazily down to the street, spinning in a funnel as it fell away. 

He muttered to himself. “Oh, come on!” 

Bog hurriedly made another plane; he just had to get her attention! His next plane flew across the distance between the buildings, heading straight for the window of the room she was in...Bog's heart was pounding as he watched it flying closer and closer to the window. 

“Yes, yes.” Bog's hands were in fists as he cheered his little plane on...and then it hit the side the building. 

Bog snarled, immediately grabbing another piece of paper. He was about to throw the plane out the window, when Mr. Manley grabbed Bog's shoulder from behind and twisted him around causing Bog to drop into his chair. 

“What on earth do you think you are doing King?” Manley slammed the window shut as he spoke. 

Bog frowned. “Nothing sir.” 

Manley narrowed his eyes at Bog. It had been clear that Mr. Manley hadn't liked Bog from the beginning, but he tolerated him because Bog did good work. As Manley stared down at Bog like a viper, Bog was wondering how far he could push his boss's tolerance before Manley snapped. The square nosed man stared hard at Bog for another couple of seconds, then, with a grunt, he headed back to his office without a backwards glance. 

Bog turned in his chair following Manley's progress toward his office. His boss's secretary was walking quickly into Manley's office her heels making a quick, click click against the floor, while Manley followed behind her, but this time when Manley entered his office, he closed the door behind him. 

Bog grinned, the smile just slightly wicked. Now was his chance! Bog swiftly made another paper plane, yanking the window open and throwing it out, doing his best to aim for her window. But this time the plane drifted down and flew into a window on the lower lever where a little bald man in glasses looked confused when the plane landed on his desk. 

Bog grimaced. The man looked out his window and up to see Bog waving his hands in the negative at him while muttering to himself. “No, no no, not for you...” 

The man gave Bog a sour look and crumpled up the plane before tossing it into the trash. 

* 

Bog sighed. “Okay, try again. Don't give up Bog.” 

His next plane was taken out by a flock of pigeons. Bog blinked in surprise with a whispered. 

“What?” 

The next handful of paper planes came so close to her window that Bog nearly growled out loud in frustration, each one crashing against the building, missing the window by inches. 

* 

Completely unaware of the practical fleet of paper planes fighting for her attention, Marianne smiled trying not to twist her fingers. So far her interview was going well. The gentleman interviewing her, a Mr. Green, like her resume and her portfolio. 

Mr. Green smiled. “Could you come here please Miss Summerfield? I would like to ask you about these details here and here.” 

He pointed at her portfolio. Marianne stood walking over to the desk, just as one valiant paper airplane made it into the room, only to fly right behind her and crash silently against a trash can in the corner. 

* 

Bog groaned to himself dragging his hands down his face in frustration. He kept making planes, trying over and over and over again, but each plane failed to fly into the room she occupied, until finally Bog reached for the next sheet of paper, knocking over his metal in-box by accident with his long fingers. Bog turned, his blues eyes desperate only to see that all the paper was now gone. 

Everyone in the office turned to stare at Bog when he growled. “NO!” 

The man who sat across from Bog, Mr. Brutus Gob, a large man who seemed to barely fit into his business suit, grabbed his stack of papers and held them to his chest as if they were the most precious thing on earth as he glared at Bog. Bog looked frantically around for something, anything he could use to make a paper airplane, turning to once again look out the window, only to see the woman of his dreams standing up and leaving the room. 

“NO!” Bog shouted, stumbling toward the window. 

* 

Marianne shook Mr. Green's hand. “Thank you so much sir.” 

“No, thank you Miss Summerfield. I am quite impressed with your resume! We should have a decision made by tomorrow morning, but I will say, you are an excellent candidate for the job.” 

Marianne smiled, her fingers crossed as she walked out of the room. 

* 

Bog was panicking even more. No no no!! He couldn't lose this chance! The autumn breeze blew into his window at that moment, picking up the only sheet of paper still on his desk...the one with her lip mark on it. Bog smacked his hand down on the paper, preventing it from floating out the window. He stared at the paper for several heartbeats. Should he? It was his only link to her, should he sacrfice it for the chance to meet her? 

Bog decided that he was desperate enough to let the paper bearing her mark go, he had to get her attention, had to know her name...with that he folded the paper into his last airplane, his last and final attempt to meet the woman of his dreams. 

Bog stood at the window holding his last desperate plea, making a wish to the heavens to let the plane make it through the window before she closed the door, for her to see it, to look up and out the window and see him standing here... 

Bog took a deep breath, praying that fate, God or whoever would send this plane to her. He let his breath out, ready to make this plane fly like no other paper airplane before...when the breeze kicked in and snatched the plane right out of his hands. 

Bog gasped. “NO!” and lunged for the plane, but it was already too late. The girl was leaving the room and then plane was out of his reach. Bog turned, just as his boss stuck his head out of his office and Bog looked back out the window, his gaze drawn down—he saw her! Leaving the building!! There she was!!! So close!! 

Bog hurriedly turned from the window only to nearly run right into Mr. Manley who narrowed his eyes and dropped another large stack of papers on Bog's desk. Bog flopped back into his seat, defeated. Mr. Manley smiled a smile that never reached his eyes and turned, walking back to his office sure that what ever Mr. King was doing, he had somehow beat him. Mr. Manley reentered his office and took his seat, confident that he was the winner. 

As Bog sat there staring at the stack of papers and the retreating back of his boss, Bog knew he had a decision to make...the job (that he hated) or the girl and the potential for something extraordinary. 

Bog's eyes shifted back and forth as his mind ran over these two choices. Then he smiled, a large happy determined grin. He could get another crappy job, but if this woman was his destiny, then he needed to take that chance! 

Bog grabbed his jacket, leaping to his feet and raced out, leaving his desk and Mr. Manley behind. He took the stairs, not daring the trust the elevator to take him to the first floor fast enough. His long legs carried him down the stairs at a dangerous pace, five, six at a time as he raced to the bottom trying to shove his long arms into his jacket at the same time. 

* 

Marianne smiled to herself as she left the building. The autumn breeze caught her hair and caressed her face making her smile wider. She felt good about the interview. It had gone better than she hoped. She smiled as she hummed to herself. Maybe today was going to be a good day after all, despite her screw up with that guy...maybe she would get lucky and run into him again on the way back. She could always hope. 

* 

Bog nearly fell on his face, tripping over his own feet as he raced out of the building hoping to catch her before she turned a corner or took a cab. But when he raced out onto the sidewalk...she was gone. Bog growled. “NO NO NO!!” He turned around, frantically pulling at his hair. 

He raced across the street to the building she had been in, nearly getting himself flattened by more than one car, looking frantically for any sign of the brunette when he stumbled and slammed right into a mail box. He cursed, grabbing his knee then stopped in wonder. There, sitting on top of the mail box, perfectly still...was his last airplane, her lipstick mark clearly visible. 

Bog stared at the plane, his last chance at meeting her, his last chance at...Bog didn't know what!! What could it have been!! He grabbed the plane in anger at the lost opportunity and threw the plane before he stomped off down the street. 

“DAMN IT!” Bog yelled, earning himself several stares and a couple of people hastily moving away from him as Bog, defeated—and probably unemployed—shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his slacks, and stomped down the sidewalk with no idea where he was going. 

* 

Grumbling to himself, Bog hadn't gone very far when something hit him in the leg. Irritated Bog looked down to find his last airplane, the one with her lipstick on it, stuck to his pants leg. Irritated Bog grabbed the plane and threw it, trying to get the damn thing as far away from him as he could...but fate had indeed taken an interest...and just as Bog tossed the plane away, three more stuck themselves to his torso. 

“What the hell?” Bog muttered, brushing them away only to have a gust of wind slam into Bog pushing him and the paper planes, down the sidewalk, turning him completely around and continue to shove his tall, lean form, down the sidewalk. 

The sight of the tall, slim man fighting with the wind and a few paper airplanes had people moving out of the way and staring as he struggled down the sidewalk and around the building. 

* 

Marianne sighed to herself walking back toward the train station. She stopped at a street vendor with a small bright green canopy who was selling a colorful display of flowers. The vendor had buckets full of beautiful colored blooms calling to her to stop for a bit. She smiled leaning forward to smell a rose when something hit the bouquet of flowers next to her. Marianne glanced over and frowned. It was a paper airplane. Marianne's frown turned to confusion when she saw the lipstick mark on the plane...her lipstick mark. Marianne gingerly reached for the plane, but no sooner had she started to touch it, than the autumn breeze lifted the plane into the air once more. Marianne murmured. 

“What on earth?” 

The moment the words were out of her mouth, the plane was picked up again on the breeze. 

Not sure what she was doing, but feeling an odd tug in her chest, Marianne gave chase. 

* 

Bog was becoming more than simply annoyed, he was becoming downright angry as the breeze turned into a full blown wind that seemed to refuse to let the slender man deviate from the course the wind had set him on, along with more than a dozen or so of those stupid paper planes that kept sticking to his person!! 

“What is going on?!” Bog fumed as he struggled to turn around, but the wind refused to let him go in any direction except the one in which it was blowing. 

* 

Marianne laughed. She would swear that the plane was leading her somewhere the way it just managed to stay out of her reach. It was the oddest sensation, as if the tug in her chest was connected to the plane. She followed the plane to the train platform and onto the train itself, the breeze seeming to give her a light push...the pull in her chest becoming stronger yet. 

* 

Bog was muttering, bewildered and becoming more and more irritated as he was nearly blown right off his feet and onto the train. The breeze and the paper airplanes (which were stuck all over his body by this time making him look like a demented porcupine) refused to let him deviate from the course it was determined he should go... Bog felt the pull in his chest but it was starting to piss him off. 

* 

Marianne frowned. She had finally caught the little paper airplane, but the pull hadn't stopped...she could still feel it tugging her in a certain direction. Then the train came to a stop. 

Marianne frowned in confusion, looking around, the pull tugging her toward the exit, but once she had stepped off the train...the tugging seemed to cease. 

* 

Bog was muttering up a storm when the damnable wind blew him right off the train and onto the platform nearly dropping him on his face as the forceful breeze suddenly stopped. 

Bog hissed. “About bloody time!” But when he looked up...there she was... 

Marianne turned at the sound of someone cursing to see the man from the platform that morning standing there... 

Bog swallowed, staring at her. 

Marianne stared back at him. 

Bog smiled rubbing the back of his head. “Uh...hi.” 

Marianne grinned. “Hi.” 

Bog put his hand out. “Ah...I'm...I'm Bog.” 

Marianne, still holding the plane with her lipstick on it, took his long fingered hand in hers. “Marianne.” 

Bog smiled, a faint blush on his cheeks. “Would...would you like to get a cup of coffee?” 

Marianne's smile caused her entire face to bloom like a rose. “I would love to.”


End file.
